The Wind, the Waves and the demons

Mark 4:35 -5:20

An aerial view of the passage -

· 2 mysteries that Mark unveils to the Roman audience – Christ and the kingdom of God.

· 2 characteristics: About the word of God and the power of God (not only teaching but power! – they might teach and cast out demons and heal all kinds of diseases).

The supernatural nature of evil

The Accuser! (The Satan) – A given in Jewish literature, rightly identified as evil. This kind of a identification with the story and role in human history is not available anywhere else.

The reality of Satan and the evil spirit world – an evil spirit possessed man in the Synagogue, Satan casting out Satan, Satan taking away the seed, Legion (not only reality but active presence at work destroying the works of God) – A reminder to us that he is probably at arms distance, if not closer.

The demon-possessed man was being systematically destroyed – physically, emotionally and socially. And yet it was not the most efficient way – to have 6000 (maybe more maybe less) demons in one person. This ensures his destruction but is wastage of resources.

Which is why I suggest that over a period of time with Satan having the benefit of hindsight and experience, actual demon possession is relegated to the less visible domains in our culture and demon possession has become more strategic and hence more pervasive. Satan positions himself strategically today eg. He does not possess all children; he would rather control “Cartoon Network”.

Satan (like he was the force behind the King of Tyre in Ezekiel) now is the force behind our culture – whether in politics, entertainment, fashion, religions (including Christianity), business and commerce etc – all leading towards the same end – the destruction of the human soul and the driving of it away from God. In our attempt to win the world to Christ, we dare not forget that the world is out to win us to itself!

Note: The consistent reaction of the evil spirits to Jesus – fall down before him compared to the reaction of the disciples – Who is this? (They knew who Jesus was, they were terrified (that the judgment had already come) and they were seeking their own protection by resorting to the only authority Jesus recognized – God!). This is the fear of the damned, not the fear of the faithful. Because due to the nature of their relationship with God and their created order, there is no salvation for fallen angels/demons.

The confused values of our world

They were afraid of a man sitting dressed and in his right mind in the presence of Christ and unhappy that they had suffered the loss of pigs.

At Rs 500/- a pig, how would you have felt if the beneficiary was a social outcast who cut himself up and cried out like a madman in the night and who was a social nuisance? What would you have preferred – your one lakh rupees or the deliverance of this social extra who you would now have to take care of?

The biggest victory of Satan is that we think he does not possess us while in fact we are because we have sold out entirely to him by selling out to the values of this world. Don’t we value today what the world values? Are we laying for ourselves treasures in heaven or are we storing up treasures that moth and rust destroy? Aren’t we choking today (Mk 4:18 & 19)

I ask the question – In a world where 40% of this country lives under poverty line, where 40% of the country is illiterate, 30,000 children in the world die every day for reasons related to poverty isn’t our value system reflected in the life we live, the choices we make, the possessions we have, the time we spent etc.

The overarching authority of Christ

Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him! This was not just another exorcist or rabbi! Even the demons obey him! They are afraid, they take permission.

The natural and the supernatural obey Christ. However, the only created being who bears the image of God and is the one in whom the natural and the supernatural converge has the choice to disobey!

Eg. Heath Ledger as the Joker in the latest Batman movie